1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for determining a file system layout on a disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern multi-user/multi-tasking computer systems run complex operating systems to accomplish concurrent executions of myriad user applications. Broadly speaking, an operating system may be defined as system software that schedules tasks for execution by one or more processing units in the computer system, allocates storage among various application programs, handles the system interface to the peripheral hardware, and presents a default interface to the user when no application program is running. When first installing an operating systems onto a data processing system, many times a file system layout is determined by the installation program that is installing the operating system. Frequently, users desire the freedom to preserve data that may already be stored on a particular data storage device. In addition, many users desire the freedom to customize the file system layout to a particular configuration. Prior Art FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional disk 100 that has preserved slices 120 and free slices 110. A free list 130 is a vector of free space on conventional disk 100.
Unfortunately, conventional approaches to file system layout that allow preservation of partitions on a disk do not allow modification of the file system layout in megabytes. Most conventional approaches use cylinders to measure the size of a disk (e.g., free space and used space). When partitions are preserved, calculations of the sizes of free and available space become difficult. Rounding errors involved in converting cylinders to megabytes and vice versa can cause errors such as overlapping partitions on the disk.